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Hōkūleʻa 2015 South Africa

Posted on Nov 11

The iconic Polynesian canoe Hōkūle`a safely entered False Bay Hope Spot on the 10th of November 2015 and is in port at Simons Town, South Africa thanks to the continued support of N.S.R.I and the NSRI Station 10 Simon's Town. Mahalo Tracy-Lee Wise for taking this image of our arrival.

2015 South Africa

For the crew of Hōkūleʻa, South Africa marks the most ambitious leg of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage yet. From her home in Hawai’i to her first port of call in Richards Bay, Hōkūleʻa is voyaging 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 kilometers). This historic occasion is the first time Hōkūleʻa and the Polynesian Voyaging Society will have touched the African Continent.

Now, almost halfway around the world from their home port, Hōkūleʻa and her crew will be looking to Africa, the cradle of civilization, for indigenous and local wisdom to further the message of global connectedness, sustainability, and to help create a future that includes healthy oceans.

Mālama honua, the guiding value of the voyage, in Hawaiian means “caring for island earth.” It is a message similar to South African ubuntu philosophy of community and caring. When Hōkūkeʻa stops at Richards Bay in October, and Cape Town in November, her crew will be searching for local examples of mālama honua and sharing these stories of hope with communities around the world.